Texas Drought and Hay

It was good to see fields of hay bales near Dallas. They are proof that there’s ample rain in northeast Texas. The average price for a round hay bail is $30, but the price jumps to $90 per bail when trucked to central Texas where brutal drought continues with no end in sight.

Prolonged drought has destroyed much of the hay crop in central Texas. Many ranchers have auctioned off portions of their herds because they can’t afford to feed their cattle the more expensive “imported” hay. Some ranchers have turned to stealing hay bales, or “hay rustling,” to feed their cattle.

A six-foot high bale, weighing nearly a ton, provides a day’s feed for 20 cattle. One cow eats more in a day than I imagined!